Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[LaFlorecita]

Alberto and Jesus

Now I actually came to post this

 

[Savant12]

Purito and Valverde where the ones doint all the wheelsucking. Considering it is Contador who leads - he should have done a lot more. Hopefully today he will just cover attacks and let the others burn their energy

You're right! I missed the key word "the" from the "the wheelsucking Purito and Valverde."

 

[LaFlorecita]

There was some info in today's newspaper about Froome and Contador and their respective injuries. About Alberto:

Contador was at home with a fissure of about 5 cm in his tibia, team doctor Piet de Moor says. TCS has done everything to get him at the start in Spain, says De Jongh. "For Alberto, there's not a bigger motivation than his home tour. He was off the bike for 15 days, but his level at the Tour was so high that the decline wasn't very big. Alberto is an exceptional talent, also when it comes to recovery. He has worked with electrostimulation a lot, because we were afraid he'd lose some muscle strength. And we've used a device that helps the healing of wounds and tissue. A bodytherapist was with him 24/7 to treat him because his back, neck and hip hurt."

 

[No_Balls]

Has Contador been watching Andy Schleck racing videos in his down time?

On yesterdays' stage, the amount of times that Contador looked behind looking for Froome was akin to Andy looking for Frank.

Let's hope that Contador hasn't burned too much energy up at trying to drop Froome and wheelsucking Purito and Valverde.

To be fair. Andy used to look after Contadors acceleration so he could respond. Contador looked back after a guy who´d already been dropped multiple times. One of the most strangest things i´d ever seen from him by far.

 

[SeriousSam]

TANK91 is right in that Contador hasn't managed to return to his pre ban level in any Grand Tour so far.

2012: No stronger than V and R. Well short of his old level.
2013: Annihilated by the Dawg. Beaten by others.
2014: Early indications looked promising, yet here we are at the Vuelta and he's still only marginally better than V and R, reminiscent of 2012.

His saving grace is that there is evidence you can't carry over your Tour peak to the Vuelta, even if little energy is expended: Froome is well short of his best too, despite better preparation.

I do hope Contador can produce his best in next year's Tour. But until he does, we can't be certain he can return to his old level. And, if the Dauphine is an indication, his best might not even be good enough against a charging Dawg.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador was at his best this year. He just didn't get to show it at the Tour which is a huge shame.

 

[Dr. Juice]

Contador was at his best this year. He just didn't get to show it at the Tour which is a huge shame.

Yeah and people use that as an excuse to throw in the room the usual " Contador hasn't shown sustained attacks since 2011 " which is bull****. He was at his 2011 form this year, if not better. There was 1 bad year, the other 6 years he was the boss. Now he comes off a fractured tibia with 2 weeks zero training + another 10 days light intensity due to pain and still is way better than 2013, probably 2012 level.

Regarding the GC battle : Monte Castrove is a 100 % win for Valverde. Cat 2 climb, probably a bunch of riders together at the end. Alberto has to drop him today. This is THE day.

 

[boringboy]

Yeah and people use that as an excuse to throw in the room the usual " Contador hasn't shown sustained attacks since 2011 " which is bull****. He was at his 2011 form this year, if not better. There was 1 bad year, the other 6 years he was the boss. Now he comes off a fractured tibia with 2 weeks zero training + another 10 days light intensity due to pain and still is way better than 2013, probably 2012 level.

Regarding the GC battle : Monte Castrove is a 100 % win for Valverde. Cat 2 climb, probably a bunch of riders together at the end. Alberto has to drop him today. This is THE day.

Guess he would still be ok if he just stays with Valverde?

Maybe let a break go, let them take the bonus seconds and just stay with Valverde and Purito all day.

However normally AC is that type of rider, he will test them and try to go for the stage, could cost him though, as his team seems very weak. I have not seen CAS on a single stage, guess he should have been one the last guys with him on the Mountains?

 

[cineteq]

Contador was at his best this year. He just didn't get to show it at the Tour which is a huge shame.

It would have been the same at La Vuelta's. Since his injury wasn't as bad as everybody thought, right? Your own words.

 

[LaFlorecita]

It would have been the same at La Vuelta's. Since his injury wasn't as bad as everybody thought, right? Your own words.

Of course not.

 

[murali]

after watching the replay of the last two stages, i feel very bad for missing them.
i will be missing from wednesday to friday as well.


I think I was right in questioning whether he was completely back or not.
What we are seeing is only a 80% AC. valv and jrod are comfortably following his attacks. Froome is able to ride tempo back to AC. my earlier feeling that he was not completely recovered is proved right, especially in yesterday's stage.

I disagree with SeriousSam:
2013 was the wakeup call about the new reality of peloton. 2013 tour was the first serious race after his return. 2012 Vuelta proved that an out of touch AC is better than the new "Hero", Froome. 2014 has been with too many crashes. His hero is more pathetic than even Kelderman in this Vuelta.

I hope wheelsuckers are dropped like a stone in today's stage. Even froome was riding better than valv and jrod.

i have this nasty feelign that everything will boil down to the last ITT. i just hope AC makes a further min or two to dawg in today's stage.

 

[murali]

Yeah and people use that as an excuse to throw in the room the usual " Contador hasn't shown sustained attacks since 2011 " which is bull****. He was at his 2011 form this year, if not better. There was 1 bad year, the other 6 years he was the boss. Now he comes off a fractured tibia with 2 weeks zero training + another 10 days light intensity due to pain and still is way better than 2013, probably 2012 level.

Regarding the GC battle : Monte Castrove is a 100 % win for Valverde. Cat 2 climb, probably a bunch of riders together at the end. Alberto has to drop him today. This is THE day.

i agree. he was probably at his best level in this TdF.
considering that he is returning from an injury, the mere fact that he is leading GC shows that AC is still the best.

I hope he wins today's stage. If they choose to go slow in the earlier part of the stage, I can probably watch the last 10-15 min of today's stage. i will be missing next 3 stages.

 

[murali]

It would have been the same at La Vuelta's. Since his injury wasn't as bad as everybody thought, right? Your own words.

haven't come across a more ambiguous statement than this one.

different people had thought differently about his injury. some morons in this forum had even claimed that the injury was a completely fake one. Some of us were extremely worried about his injury and his decision to return to racing in Vuelta.

The fact is: if AC hadn't got injured in Tour, he would have won the tour and probably struggling behind a fresher Quintana.

 

[Angliru]

Has Contador been watching Andy Schleck racing videos in his down time?

On yesterdays' stage, the amount of times that Contador looked behind looking for Froome was akin to Andy looking for Frank.

Let's hope that Contador hasn't burned too much energy up at trying to drop Froome and wheelsucking Purito and Valverde.

How can he do both, wheelsuck and try to drop Froome? What race are you watching if you're watching it at all? His attacks from yesterday were actually replays from his heyday back in 2007 with expert video splicing.

 

[LaFlorecita]

How can he do both, wheelsuck and try to drop Froome? What race are you watching if you're watching it at all? His attacks from yesterday were actually replays from his heyday back in 2007 with expert video splicing.

Check a few post later, the wheelsucking part was about Piti & Purito

 

[Savant12]

How can he do both, wheelsuck and try to drop Froome? What race are you watching if you're watching it at all? His attacks from yesterday were actually replays from his heyday back in 2007 with expert video splicing.

I re-edited my post.

@LaFlorecita. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Angliru]

TANK91 is right in that Contador hasn't managed to return to his pre ban level in any Grand Tour so far.

2012: No stronger than V and R. Well short of his old level.
2013: Annihilated by the Dawg. Beaten by others.
2014: Early indications looked promising, yet here we are at the Vuelta and he's still only marginally better than V and R, reminiscent of 2012.

His saving grace is that there is evidence you can't carry over your Tour peak to the Vuelta, even if little energy is expended: Froome is well short of his best too, despite better preparation.

I do hope Contador can produce his best in next year's Tour. But until he does, we can't be certain he can return to his old level. And, if the Dauphine is an indication, his best might not even be good enough against a charging Dawg.

He had an injury to his leg that was serious enough that he had to pull out of the Tour. To expect him to return to the same level he had going into the Tour I believe is not realistic. His form in 2014 and leading up to the Tour was about as close to his pre-ban level as he's been. Also using the Dauphine as a barometer isn't the best instrument considering the vast difference in form that Nibali had there and at the Tour.

I too hope that he can produce his best in next year's Tour. I think his 2014 performances prior to the Tour are a sign that his altered off season training program has worked. I anticipate him coming into 2015 ready to challenge Froome. I anticipate Nibali potentially arriving with the mindset that he has bridged the gap that existed between him and Froome/Contador.

 

[Angliru]

Check a few post later, the wheelsucking part was about Piti & Purito

I saw that was pointed out. I was responding to the uncorrected post. Makes sense now.

 

[Angliru]

I re-edited my post.

@LaFlorecita. Thanks for clarifying.

Gotcha. Makes sense now. Sorry for the tone. Should have read forward.

 

[Angliru]

I re-edited my post.

@LaFlorecita. Thanks for clarifying.

Double posting.

 

[BlurryVII]

Good luck best Contador holding Froome last year on AX-3 and Ventoux. .

http://www.climbing-records.com/2013/07/mont-ventoux-2013-two-new-entries-in.html

Ventoux
2009: Freewheeling AC & ASchleck (Attacking & waiting couple of times): 58:45 min
2013: Froome going full out: 59:00 min

Contador's average power number was significantly higher than Froome's 2013. And he did not fade in the 3rd week.

Also AC was in his best form at the Tour but he didn't get to show it. And he's better than Froome in this Vuelta despite crashing later in the Tour, despite worse injury & worse preparation.

 

[ILovecycling]

Very important final coming

Vamos Alberto!!!

 

[rhubroma]

TANK91 is right in that Contador hasn't managed to return to his pre ban level in any Grand Tour so far.

2012: No stronger than V and R. Well short of his old level.
2013: Annihilated by the Dawg. Beaten by others.
2014: Early indications looked promising, yet here we are at the Vuelta and he's still only marginally better than V and R, reminiscent of 2012.

His saving grace is that there is evidence you can't carry over your Tour peak to the Vuelta, even if little energy is expended: Froome is well short of his best too, despite better preparation.

I do hope Contador can produce his best in next year's Tour. But until he does, we can't be certain he can return to his old level. And, if the Dauphine is an indication, his best might not even be good enough against a charging Dawg.

No way. Contador up to the Tour was at his best, if not very close. Unfortunately we missed the fireworks when he crashed out of the French stage race.

 

[l.Harm]

Wheelsucker!

 

[BigMac]

Wheelsucker!

The hypocrytes will say no.